


Space we Share

by L_The_other_consulting_detective



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Hurt/Comfort, Krolia is protective, M/M, Nightmares, Shiro blames himself, kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-08-01
Packaged: 2019-06-19 23:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15520815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/L_The_other_consulting_detective/pseuds/L_The_other_consulting_detective
Summary: "Absolutely worthless.""Keith."He wanted it to end damnit, the pain was lancing higher and he couldn't breath and the scent of burnt flesh was...missing? Keith opened his eyes.





	Space we Share

Keith panted, one eye partially swollen shut as he stumbled through the halls, a hand clamped down on the deep wound in his side. He fought the darkness seeping in at the edges of his vision, his right arm limp, bayard barely held in his grasp as he crashed around a corner, unable to keep quiet, barely able to keep his feet under him. The castle was safe, was home, how could this have happened? 

His breathing grew harsher as he tried to reach his lion, the red smear he left behind as he pushed off a wall near the kitchen too telling a mark. He stumbled, falling, losing too much time. 

" _Keith."_

God no. Nonono. The thing with Shiro's face stepped into his blurry vision as he pushed himself too his knees and raised his bayard, in his mind he could feel black's distaste for his weakness, feel her pulling away from a paladin who couldn't do what needed done. The Shiro who was not Shiro was upon him, wicked burning purple fingers closing around Keith's throat, his blades useless too him against the monster as it lifted him into the arm, his skin blistering and then peeling away under it's hand. He was screaming Shiro's name, even as air became harder and harder to come by and the last thing he registered were cold grey eyes and a few harsh words.

_"Absolutely worthless."_

 

" _Keith."_

He wanted it to end damnit, the pain was lancing higher and he couldn't breath and the scent of burnt flesh was...missing? Keith opened his eyes.

He took a deep breath, then another, confused as he slowly sat up in the cot in the back of the black lion. Her mind was warm, concerned, protective. He breathed again, taking in more of his surroundings. His mother had a shirtless Shiro pinned to the opposite wall, blade held threateningly. Shiro was staring past her at Keith, his eyes shining with liquid and his mouth twisted down in sorrow, he wasn't fighting Krolia's hold.

"Mom?" Keith spoke, his throat tightening in pain as he registered the ache under his jaw, his voice sounding strained and small.

"It's okay Keith, you're okay. Shiro, I'm going to step back now, do not touch my son."

Shiro nodded once and Keith only found himself more confused, "What is happening?"

The bite in his voice was not forceful with how it hurt to sound angry and he just ended up sounding scared instead. Krolia stepped away from Shiro who stayed pressed tight to the wall, as far from Keith as he could get in the tiny space. Krolia stood evenly, arms crossed and face troubled, an odd sight even to Keith.

"I was taking my turn to pilot and you started screaming. When I turned around Shiro was hurting you."

Keith looked at Shiro, unable to believe it and feeling a new fear creep into him. He'd known that it wasn't Shiro he was fighting before, when Haggar had taken over the clone, but if Shiro himself was capable of hurting him...what would he do?

"Shiro?" He hated the doubt he felt, sure it was painted on his features as he watched Shiro's face crumple.

"No...Keith I-fuck." Shiro never swore, Keith felt a knife twisting in his gut, "I was trying to wake you up but you were trashing around too much. I was trying to hold you still when you started screaming, Krolia thought it was because of me."

Krolia looked unconvinced and Keith couldn't say he knew either. He watched Shiro carefully and looked askance at his mother,

"I have sat with you through many nights, never have you made such noises."

Her tone was clipped and her speach overly formal and Keith took a breath, closing his eyes and thinking hard. Krolia had never heard the noises because Keith, with his share of nightmares, had never been so scared of one before and Shiro- _Shiro..._ How could he have doubted? The clone hadn't even wanted to harm him, only Haggar's twisted magic had forced him and even then Keith had broken through, no version of Shiro would lay a finger on him willingly and he believed that. He opened his eyes, looking into Shiro's and finding tender concern and deep guilt.

"It's okay. I'm alright, it was just a dream, a really fucked up dream. Mom, Shiro's not lying."

Krolia gave him a long look before touching his shoulder lightly, and too his surprise, brushing her fingers over Shiro's human arm as well and going back to the pilot's seat. The two men didn't move, just staring at each other until Shiro looked away, leaving Keith feeling hollowed out.

"Come here."

Shiro's head jerked toward him and Keith scooted back a little on the cot, "Please."

He must've screamed pretty good with how messed up his throat felt and he hoped it would be better soon. Shiro approached him slowly, making the few steps between them feel like a chasm to be crossed. Finally he came to settle, tense and uncertain, sitting at Keith's hip. Keith felt a spike of anger, at Haggar, at himself, at Shiro's incessant need to protect him. 

"No.  _Come Here."_ He grabbed Shiro by the shoulder and tugged hard, making him overbalance and slam into Keith. The air being pressed out of him was a fair trade for the warmth of Shiro's skin against him. Shiro fought to sit back up for a moment but gave in and rearranged to lay comfortably as Keith stubbornly held on to him.

"I'll never hurt you again." Shiro's voice was low as he made the vow against Keith's shoulder and Keith sighed.

"You never hurt me to begin with."

He could practically hear Shiro not believing him and he hissed out, "Takashi, you didn't do this," He forced Shiro to look at him, gesturing to the burn cutting into his face, "even if your clone had wanted to, it still wasn't you. Even he tried not to hurt me, so I know you never will."

His voice was scratchy by the last word but Shiro was looking at him with something undefined in his gaze, they stared at each other again and Keith could see Shiro accepting his words, the guilt not gone but lessened and another expression started to bleed over it all. He didn't understand what was happening exactly but Shiro was looking at him like he'd personally hung every star they'd ever dreamed of flying to, before Kerberos, before the madness. 

"Keith." His name was a breath and Keith felt new warmth flood him as he realized, he'd been so annoyed he'd slipped, used Shiro's first name.

"I'm so-"

Shiro was kissing him, soft and easy and without much push, like he was letting Keith decide and Keith thought that was stupid, because no one decided to fall in love with a man like Takashi Shirogane, that implied far too much ability to resist. Keith kissed him back and when they parted, staying close together, sharing breath on the too small cot in an alien ship somewhere between one destroyed castle and their mother planet, his mom in the pilots chair and the man he loved smiling at him, Keith thought maybe he'd never left home at all.

 

 


End file.
